Apparatus for packing sugar



March 29, 1932. c. SCHUCHMANN 1,351,451

APPARATUS FOR PACKING SUGAR Filed Spt. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY mm ATTO R NEY I Q C'MKLES Jam/0112mm U March 29, 1932.

C SCHUCHMANN APPARATUS FOR PACKING SUGAR Filed Sept. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet C (Marika/m ATTORNEY March 29, 1932.

Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES SGHUCHMANN, OF ST. ALBANS, NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR PACKING SUGAR Application filed September 25, 1929. Serial No. 395,154.

with several rows of articles, each row of.

5.0 articles having a different shape or size.

Still another particular object of the invention is to provide an equally advantageous method for handling, assembling, and pack aging articles of the same shape and size, as,

for instance, cubes or slabs of sugar (the articles commonly known as lump sugar), or any other articles of the same size or shape.

Another object is to provide a simple device for handling conveniently large numbers of articles of the kind above referred to,

such device preferably utilizing suction according to one or more of the principles of my co-pending application Sr. No. 387,943,

but involving a different, and in certain aspects, an improved, handling device for said articles.

Another object is to provide a simple and easily operated assembling rack or stand capable of receiving and holding large numbers of small articles of various shapes and sizes, in proper relation ready for insertion in a package or container, with such rack or stand including tubular or trough-like or equivalent nu guide-ways according to one or more of the principles of my co-pending application aforesaid, but involving a diflerent, and in certain aspects, an improved, rack or stand and guide-way.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or will become apparent, as the specification proceeds.

l/Vith the above indicated objects in View,

the invention resides in certain novel constructions and combinations and arrangement of parts and methods and method steps, clearly described in the following specification andfully illustrated in the accompany- 59 ing drawings, which latter show an e1nbodiment of the apparatus of the invention as at present preferred.

Fig. 1 is a plan View.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the suction bar, on an enlarged scale. I i

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 5 is view in elevation of the carriage, taken on a larger scale.

, Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view of the automatically operating clutch device.

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of certain elements of the clutch.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the rotary suction bar and the pusher cam in its starting position.

Fig. 9 is a similar View showing the cam in its relieving position.

Fig. 10 is a detail cross sectional view of a table showing the row'of sugar lumps.

Fig. 11 is a detail plan view of several of the sugar lump feeding channels.

Fig. 12 is a detail cross sectional view thereof, showing the channels loaded.

Fig. 13 1s a similar view of another portion of the length of said channels.

Fig. 14 is a detail view of one of the loading channels. i

Referring to the drawings in detail 5 designates a stationary feed table, the horizontal surface of which may be transversely divided into areas 6, 7, 8 and 9, for holding groups of different shaped lumps of sugar, or the like, 7 V as, for example, sugar lumps shaped like hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds. To this table a horizontal track 10 is secured somewhat below the upper horizontal surface thereof. A companion track 11 is supported in parallel relation to this track 10 by the horizontal bar 12, which is mounted upon the vertical legs 13. The two tracks 10 and 11 extend in parallel relation to the table 5 and are coextensive therewith.

A companion or delivery table 14 isarranged in parallel relation to the feed table 5 and is provided with supporting legs 15 which support the table at a higher elevation than the table 5. Upon this delivery table 14 a series of loading channels 16 are arranged for the purpose of feeding rows of sugar lumps, or other like material, in classified order. Each of these channels 16 consists of a U-shaped body 17, which thus provides a base wall 17a and side walls 176 and 170, for those channels using lumps having converging sides, like diamonds, hearts, clubs and spades. The entrance end of each channel is provided with a longitudinal slot 17, and all of these slots are of the same size and width. V

The channels 16 are disposed so that their side walls are in substantially vertical planes, along their entrance portions, and are twisted, as indicated in Fig. 13, so that the lumps will lie on their sides when they approach the discharge ends of the channels.

'A carriage 18 is equipped with wheels 19 which support said carriage for sliding movement on the tracks and 11, the rollers being freely turnable against the tracks, when the carriage is pushed by the hand of the operator. The platform 20 of this carriage is equipped with a shelf 21, suspended by the vertical portion or hanger 22 from the underside of the platform 20. Upon this shelf an electrical motor 23 is mounted so that it will shift freely when the carriage 18 is shifted upon the tracks 10 and 11, and this electrical motor is supplied with current through a suitable cable, or other equivalent means, which need not be shown, as by stationary feed wires and a follower shoe or brush head.

Upon each side of the platform 20 a rocking' lever 25 is mounted by its pivot 26 on a stationary bracket carried by. said platform. This lever 25 is provided at each side with a long arm 28, which extends slightly upwards of the "platform 20 and is equipped with a handhold bar 29, and a short arm 30, which projects upwardly in the direction opposite to the long arm 28. The short arm 30 of the lever is connected by the coil spring 31 with yea the platform 20 at 31a, and this spring functions to hold the long arm 28 of the lever in a normally elevated position, so that it may be manually depressed by hand pressure upon the handhold 29. a V One end of the horizontal shaft 32 is mounted in a bearing 32 provided on the terminal portion ofthe long arm '28 of the lever. The bracket 27 is located at one end of the platform 20 and the lever 25 is mounted to rock close to this'bracket. The shaft 32 extends laterally of the lever 25 to support therotary suction drum 33, which engages the bushing 34, and is secured to said bushing by means of the set screw 35. p v

The opposite end of the rotary suction bar or cylinder is provided with a nipple 36 which-works in a packing box 37, provided with a nipple 38 which is coupled by means of a conduit to a vacuum pump, which may be carried by the carriage shelf and geared to its motor, the details of this being omitted.

This end of the suction cylinder is supported by means of bracket 39 upon the shaft 26.

Theshaft 32 is provided with a pulley 32?) on one end which is driven through the belt 40 from the shaft of the motor, which is equipped with a pulley to drive this belt. This shaft. 32 is constantly driven from the motor and an intermittent driving connection between this shaft andthe rotary suction cylinder is established through the medium of a mechanical clutch and cam operated trip, so that the suction cylinder makes one revolution each time it is manually depressed, by pushing down upon the lever which carries one end of said cylinder.

On the shaft a collar 40 is secured by the pin 40a, and this collar is provided with a circular flange 41 on which a two arm rocker member or pawl 42 is pivoted. One'arm 42a of this rocker is provided with a terminal portion designed to enter an opening 43a formed inthe circular shield 43, which is secured against rotation by the bracket arm 43?) mounted against the side face of the lever 25.

The arm 42a is engaged bythe rocker 44 which is pivoted on the stud 45 carried by the lever 25. This rocker is equipped with two arms 44a and 445, which alternately engage the pawl arms of the pawl 42. The

rocker 44 is provided with an upstanding centrally disposed armr45 which is engaged bya ribbon spring 46 so that the rocker will be held in either of its two positions. The arm 44a of this rocker is provided with a lateral pin 47 which works in a trackway 48 of the stationary deflector or cam member 49, which consists, of a vertical plate or memher, the lower end of which is secured to the platform 20. This deflector is equipped with an inclined portion 49a along said trackway to force the arm 42a into the opening 43a and thus couple the rotary cylinder to the shaft When the lever 25 is manually dearessed the arm 42a is forced into said opening 43a, to insure that the suction cylinder will mak one complete revolution. When the lever is released, to be elevated by its spring, the pin v4'7 will'engagethe inclined cam portion 49b and the rocker 44 will then rock the pawl 42 so that the arm 42a thereof will be forced out of said opening 43a and the rotary suction cylinder will come to a stop.

are spaced an equal distance from each other to enter the slotted ends of the feeding channels 16. The rotary suction cylinder 33 is provided with a series of suction openings 33a spaced equal distances from each other and radially aligned with the cam lugs 52;

a time to the suction cylinder.

The various shaped lumps of sugar or other manufactured material are preferably contained in trays which are deposited upon the table 5, from the same, or from individual machines, each of which is equipped to make but one shape. A battery of four machines is used in the general layout shown, but the invention is not limited to this group. This grouping is shown because it completes the group of card characters used for the sugar lumps, consisting of hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds, but any other group of shapes, could, of course, be employed, or products all of one shape could be used for the packaging.

The trays containing the lumps of sugar or other material being handled are manually moved on to the platform or pick up table 20, underthe suction cylinder. The suction now being at work through the cylinder and the cylinder being manually moved downward into contacting relation with a row of sugar lumps, these will be picked up and transported in an arcuate path, about the axis of the suction cylinder to the slotted ends of the feeding channels 16, when the cams will engage these sugar lumps and forcibly displace the same from the suction cylinder, causing the sugar lumps to be deposited in the feeding or loading channels. The action of each of the cam lugs is to slightly propel the sugar lump along the channel in which it is deposited so that these channels will be progressively filled as the suction bar is successively rotated.

When the lever is allowed to return to its normally elevated position, by the tension of the spring pull upon it, and the release of manual pressure used to overcome the spring, the suction cylinder will be rotated as the lever returns to its elevated position. In feeding the articles to the suction cylinder a tray is moved step by step across the pickup table 20 to present one row of articles at hen the tray is empty, it is pushed downward into the space beneath the delivery table 14.

l'Vhat is claimed as new, is:

1. In an article handling device, a suction cylinder, means to rotate said suction cylinder, means to present a plurality of rows of articles beneath said suction cylinder, means enabling said suction cylinder to seize the leading article of each row, said suction cylinder adapted to transport said seized articles toward a predetermined point and a plurality of'chutes at said predetermined point, said articles adapted to engage said chutes during their transportation, and said chutes adapted to release said articles from said suction and guide said articles toward a point of delivery.

2. An article handling device consisting of a table provided with a series of loading channelsg'a rotary suction cylinder having spaced openings, means for supportingthe cylinder for rotation, means for movingthe cylinder downward toward "the table, and means for intermittently rotating the cylin-- der about its own axis operable after the-cylinder starts to ascend fromthe table. a

3. An article handling device consisting of a table provided with a series of loading channels, a rotary suction 1 cylinder having articleholding'suction openings, means for supporting" said cylinder for rotation ar ranged to hold saidcylinder normally above the table and to swing said cylinder toward said table to pick up a plurality. of articles, and means for causing said cylinder to make a single revolution about its own axis when the cylinder is raised from the table, to present said picked up articles to said loading channels. a a l 4. An article holding device consisting of a series of loading channels having slottedreceiving ends, a rotary pickup cylinder hav-: ing article holding suction openings, means for intermittently rotating said cylinder to: cause the same to pickup articles and trans!- port the same to the slotted ends of the channels, and cam projections on said cylinder adapted to disengage articles'held by suc tion thereon and force the same along the slotted ends ofthe channels. i 1:

5. An article handling device consisting of classifying article holding channels, a load? ing table, a carriage shiftable across said table to'a position opposite a selected channel, and a rotary suction bar carried by the carriage and arranged to pickup articles deposited on the table and deposit them'in' said" selected channel, and means for producing an intermittent rotative action of the a suction ar. 6. An article handling device consisting of article classifying holding channels, a load ing table a horizontalsuctionbar mounted to swing vertically toward and away from the table, and means for producing an intermittent rotary motion in the suction bar about its own axis to cause it to move after it has engaged articles deposited on i the table and. transport the-same to the article holding channels. 1 i 1 i i 7. An article handling device including, in combination, a feed table i ncluding anarticle holding area, a pick-up platform disposed substantially on the horizontal plane of said feed table, a delivery table positioned at a higher elevation than said feed table -and pick-up platform, said delivery table includbeneath said pick-up platfornnan electric motor mounted on said shelf, a pair of rockable levers pivotally mounted one at each side of said pick-up platform, a suction drum rotatably mounted between the ends of said pair of rockable levers, means operatively connect ing the shaft of said electric motor with said mg a plurality of loading channels, a shelf suction drum, suctionimeans .in communicatio'n with said suction .Jdrum, said suction drum .being movable downwardlyon the pivotal'mounting of saidxlevers to engage; and

r5. pick-up. a ,rowof articles from said pick-up platform,-.n1eans controlled by depression of V said,.: suction drum to, effect rotation of said drum; about itsown-axis, said suction drum, whenfraised; being adapted to present the m pickedt-up articles to said'loading channels, said suctiondrum having. a plurality ofcam lugsadaptedto propel said articles into the entrance ends of said loading channels.

83; An article handling device including, in combination, a feed table including. a plurality ofiarticleholding areas, a pick-up platform disposed substantially in the horizontal planecof said feed table, a;delivery table including a plurality of loading channels a painof'rockable levers pivotallymounte'd one at1each: side of'said pick-up platform, a suction/drum: rotatably mounted between the endsof saidipair of rockabl-e levers, suction means-in communication with said: suction drum, saidzsuction drum being movable downwardlyon the pivotal mounting of said levers toengage andpick-up a plurality of articles from saidxpick-upplatform, means to effect rotationof said drum about its own axis, said as; suction drum, when raised,being adapted to present the picked-up articles to said loading channels.

9. An :article handling device including, in.

combination,-a stationary feed table including a pluralityof art-icle holding areas, a pick-up platfornrmounted to travel, across the horizontalplane of said stationary-feed table, a'

deliveryitable including a plurality of-loading channels, each ofsaid channels comprising a substantially U-shaped body with a slotted entrance portion, said channels being twistedtforaportion of their length,;a, pair of rocka-blezlevers pivotally mounted one at eachsideof said :pick-up platform, said levers having an upwardly extending hand-hold bar, asuction drum rotatablymounted betweenrthe ends. ofisaidpair of rockable levers, suction meansin communication with said suctiondrum, said'suction drum being movaqg; ble downwardly on the pivotal mounting of saidzleversto engage and'pick-u'p a plurality of articles from said. pick-up platform,means to .efiectrotation =of said'drum about its own axis, said suction drum, when raised being adapted to'present-the picked-up articles to said-:loadingfchannels, said suction drum having-apluralityofcam lugs adapted to propel said articlesintothe entrance ends of said loading-channels. V 1 1 a; 1.0.1 'An article: handling'device including,

in combination, a feedtable including a pluralitywof-"article' holding areas, a pick-up platform disposed substantially in the horizontalplaneof-saidstationary feed table, a

idcliverytablezincluding a plurality ofloading I channels, each of saidchannels comprising a substantially U.-shaped body with a slotted entrance portion, said channels being twistedfor a portion of their length,'apair of rockable levers pivotally mounted one at each side of said pick-up platform, a suction drum rotatably mounted between the endsof said pair of rockable levers, suction-means in com munication with said suction drum, said suc-v tion drum being movable downwardly on the.

a horizontal trackway beneathsaid feed ta-' ble and extending transversely across the plane of said article holding areas, a carriage rollably mounted on said trackway, av pickup platform on said carriage, said pick-up platform being substantially in'thehorizontal plane of said'stationary feed table, a delivery table positioned at a higher elevation than said stationary feed table and movable; piclrup platform, said deliverytable includ-- ing a pluralityof'loading channels, a shelf carried by said carriage, beneath said pickup platform, an electric motor mounted on said shelf, a pair of rockable levers pivotally mounted one at" each side ofsaid pick-up platform, a suction drum rotatably mounted between the ends of said pair of 'rockable levers, means operatively connecting the shaft of said electric motor with saidsuction drum, suction means in communication with said suction drum,sa1d suction drum being movable downwardly on the pivotal mounting of said leversto engage and pick-up a plurality of articles from said pick-up platform, means controlled by depression of said suction drum to effect rotation of said drum about its own axis, said suction drum', when raised being adapted to present the picked up articlesto said'loading channels.

12. An article handling device including, in combinatiom'a stationary'feed tableinfl eluding a plurality of article holding areas, a horizontal trackway beneath said feedtable' and extending transversely across the plane of said article holding areas, a carriage rollably mounted on said trackway, a. pick-up platform on said carriage, said pick-up plat-' form being substantially in the horizontal plane of said stationary feed table, a. delivery table positioned at-a higher elevationthan said stationary feedtable andmovable pick-'- up platform, said delivery table,includingya.

plurality of loading channels, each of said channels comprising a substantially U-shaped body with a slotted entrance portion, said channels being twisted for a portion of their length, a shelf carried by said carriage, beneath said pick-up platform, an electric motor mounted on said shelf, a pair of rockable levers pivotally mounted one at each side of said pick-up platform, said levers having an upwardly extending hand-hold bar, a suction drum rotatably mounted between the ends of said pair of rockable levers, means opera-V tively connecting the shaft of said electric motor with said suction drum, suction means in communication with said suction drum,

said suction drum being movable downwardly on the pivotal mounting of said levers to engage and pick-up a plurality of articles from said piclr-up platform, means controlled by depression of said suction drum to effect rotation of said drum about its own axis, said suction drum, when raised, being adapted to present the picked-up articles to said loading channels, said suction drum having a plurality of cam lugs adapted to propel said articles into the entrance ends of said loading channels.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature.

CHARLES SOHUCHMANN. 

